Welcome to Serviced Accommodation Secrets the Podcast for all things Serviced Accommodation. Brought to you by a real SA operator who has been there and done it. Made the mistakes and still learning. This episode we talk about how to furnish your property. Lease. Buy Secondhand furniture. Buy top-of-the-range furniture. The choice is yours. If you would like to learn more about our mentorships please email linda@heronsrestsa.co.uk We would love you to join our facebook page: https://www.facebook...
Aug 07, 2024•9 min•Season 1Ep. 6
This podcast is about how to find properties. There are different ways that you can approach this. Speak to estate agents and look on online estate agent portals such as Rightmove and Zoopla. Do letter drops to local properties? It may not always be a landlord, but you never know who might see your letter. Talk about the benefits you can bring to the landlord, and make sure you include your contact details. It's crucial to be honest with estate agents about your intentions and ensure that the pr...
Jul 19, 2024•17 min•Season 1Ep. 5
This episode offers some important tips about the type of company you should set up for your accommodation business. We talk about sole trader, LLP, Limited companies. Each company structure has it's own merits, each person will want a different type of structure. We talk about the importance of bookkeeping, speaking to an accountant, keeping an eye on your VAT turnover and your tax liabilties. We would love you to join our facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/servicedaccommodationsec...
Jul 04, 2024•13 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Subletting After reading a post on Facebook from someone that I believe sells courses on Serviced Accommodation I wanted to clear something up. When you find a property that you want to rent for the purposes of using it for Serviced Accommodation you need to make sure that the lease allows it. The post on Facebook said that you should state in the lease that you are subletting the property. Subletting is not what we do. The lease should state that the property can be used for Serviced Accommodat...
Jun 13, 2024•4 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Taking everything back to basics. What is serviced accommodation? Is it passive income? The pitfalls of serviced accommodation. Automation in serviced accommodation. Join our facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/servicedaccommodationsecrets See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 10, 2024•11 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Announcement that I am relaunching the Serviced Accommodation Secrets Podcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 04, 2024•3 min•Season 1Ep. 1
I'm very excited to announce that Linda O'Rourke, the operator of Herons Rest Serviced Properties, will be taking over the reins of my Serviced Accommodation Secrets Podcast, so that our community will still be served and supported. Here, you will enjoy my interview with Linda, who is such a valuable and knowledgeable member of our SA community, and she shares many insights and how she got started in this business. Linda is also taking over the Serviced Accommodation Secrets Facebook group &...
Sep 16, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 125
5 months on from the launch of Hospitable Hosts the No. 1 bestselling book full of gems of wisdom and stories from 40 hosts across the world, we welcome Paul Anderson once again. You can hear how Paul has developed his business in that time, taking on staff and changing up his priorities. Paul also has time for interests and a life outside hospitality which you’ll perhaps have thought might be a challenge!!! He shares advice that is not in the book, tips on running your hospitality business that...
Nov 01, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 124
Mark Simpson has spent his whole life in hospitality, now a renowned author, award-winning mentor, and proud Boostly founder, he helps short terms rental hosts of all kinds globally to get more direct bookings, instead of relying on the Online Travel Agencies (OTAs). Mark launched The Book Direct Playbook in February 2022, and he’s poured all his experience, learnings, insights, (and the odd soccer reference), to help property owners around the world finally regain control and turn their busines...
Jun 13, 2022•58 min•Season 1Ep. 123
Tracey Northcott is a serial entrepreneur and multi-preneur based in Japan, and has 10 years’ experience as a short term rental host - as you might imagine, Tracey has superpowers to share when it comes to attracting guests and getting bookings! Here Tracey shares the fascinating story of how she got started, the dramatic highs and lows of hosting Tokyo Family Stays, which she grew to a seven-figure business. Through her business, Tracey Northcott Consulting, she inspires and coaches current and...
May 30, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 122
Meet Paul Anderson, the Social Media Hotelier, and host of the award-winning The Sandfield Guest House in Oxford. Here you’ll hear more about how Paul has been welcoming visitors into his guesthouse since 2009 and how his unique knowledge and desire to pay it forward makes him the best host in the area. You will be able to learn how Paul discovered his Instagram skills enable other short term rental hosts make the most of their social media marketing. He started his The Social Media Hotelier coa...
May 16, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 118
Meet Pam Holt, who started as a host in Chicago, USA almost by accident when she went off travelling with her family, and never looked back! Hear how she has been able to visit so many different countries since she began hosting, so it was the start of a great adventure. Pam is now helping new hosts to see how they can create a significant income stream while being part of a community, learning the pitfalls to avoid and supported through the experience, and has may brilliant ideas to share here ...
May 16, 2022•42 min•Season 1Ep. 120
Enjoy hearing from Sasha Herman, serviced accommodation expert and director of Jesswood Properties in Luton, and Plaxy Budzinska, mentor and founder of Ravens House Assets, with short term rentals located in Bishop’s Stortford, close to Stansted Airport. Sasha is also a TV presenter, property & travel Expert and luxury brand ambassador - but how did she get involved in the word of serviced accommodation? Sasha shares a fascinating snippet of her story here, the full account being in Hospitab...
May 16, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 116
Introducing the visionary behind an incredible new book Hospitable Hosts, Jodie Stirling, of Stirling Stays, beautiful short term rental cottages in the Cotswolds, and two of the amazing collection of co-authors & professional short term rental hosts in this project - Julie George - the Million Dollar Host and Lead Coach of the Legends X STR Accelerator Program from Australia, and Liam Carolan an independent STR trainer and Head Coach with Boostly Academy, and host at Ginger & Gold, with...
May 16, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 113
Here you’ll hear how Jim has been hosting houses on Airbnb since June of 2017, managing properties that he owns as well as houses for Investors and Vacation Rental Owners in San Antonio Texas, and Charlotte, North Carolina in USA. His homes are in wonderful locations, with so much for guests to do and time to cherish on their stays there. Jim learned from a young age what a privilege it was to serve others, and how making others happy, made him happy. But how did he come to be doing this in the ...
May 16, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 119
Sergio Castaneda is the founder and Superhost of his amazing Jungle House Luxury short-term rental management and consulting company in Columbus, Ohio, USA. He is an Airbnb Ambassador, helping new hosts set up their listings and as well as consulting to support new and existing hosts in the short-term rental industry. You’ll hear how Sergio changed his life completely, to be able to travel and become financially independent through this wonderful world of hosting and providing beautiful places f...
May 16, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 114
Meet Sean McGregor, host of Stay Work and Play, and as you may imagine, his short term rentals are perfect for digital nomads who embrace the opportunity to work from anywhere! Hear how Sean got started and the amazing guarantee that they give the property owners whose properties are fully managed so they are hands free and reap all the rewards of being in the safe hands of Sean and his team. You’ll gain so much from hearing about Sean’s tips and experiences! Hospitable Hosts is co-authored by 4...
May 16, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 121
Andrew Hanson shares is incredible story of how he came from nothing to become a performance-driven, multi-faceted, strategic real estate agent and created a successful short term rental business “Pond Life Vacation Rentals” with beautiful homes and many water sports and activities available for guests in New England, USA, as well as running his CityScapes Property Management business. You’ll hear about his wish is to help inspire readers of the book that no matter what your background is that y...
May 16, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 117
Episode 115 - Serviced Accommodation Secrets - Toby Doré Interview - Hospitable Hosts Meet Dr. Toby Doré, owner and founder of Cajun Stays his Airbnb business and began his hosting journey in 2016. You can hear how he was working as a full-time University Professor by day and managing two music venues by night - inspired a six-week cross-country round trip road trip from Louisiana to Canada his hosting career began. Toby writes “The Cajun Traveler” travel blog and Cajun Stays boasts just under 5...
May 16, 2022•59 min•Season 1Ep. 115
In the UK the recent Budget had several measures that will help us in the SA sector, and combining this with our Roadmap out of COVID-19 lock down, there’ll be an increase in guests wishing to stay and for numerous reasons… here’s a summary of my thoughts and practical aspects of these two major events announced by the UK Government. For show notes and resources in my podcast, go to my website www.servicedaccommodationsecrets.com and Facebook page: http://bit.ly/SASecretsPage See omnystudio.com/...
Mar 15, 2021•22 min•Season 1Ep. 112
During lock down, if you have your SA units open for business like we do, it’s vital to find out the reason that guests plan to stay at your property and keep within the current laws. This might seem like a challenge, but in fact there are great opportunities here to help people and thus gain new clients, which is what’s happened with us this week. And as a second part to this podcast, if you worry that you might struggle to keep running your business if anything happened to you or your loved on...
Feb 01, 2021•18 min•Season 1Ep. 111
How are you getting on with your new 2021 goals? Here are specific ways to keep on track and manage both your key actions this year as well as your mindset. And to share how this still works even if you’re going through a difficult time – unfortunately we’ve had the most traumatic week because a serious car accident has left my eldest grown up child Skye (still your kids even when they’re 21 years old aren’t they?!) with a fractured pelvis and a long recovery expected after surgery this past wee...
Jan 24, 2021•25 min•Season 1Ep. 110
I hope you’re weathering the storm of second lock down and the tier system in the UK, and anywhere in the world! If you’ve felt frustrated by the limitations government restrictions have placed on your SA business, know that you are not alone, and now is the time for you to step up and take positive action. Make the difference to your SA business by helping your guests, your community and your wider audience of potential guests – create and evoke their experience staying with you. Realise that y...
Dec 20, 2020•20 min•Season 1Ep. 109
Sometimes managing your bookings can be a challenge. You either have none, or lots come along at once. Here are some tips on things to do, and what not to do. With increasing financial pressure caused by the impact of COVID-19, there can be increased pressure to bend your rules or not follow your policies in order to secure bookings. Here I share a few tips to help you through this rocky period in our history. For the list of books and podcasts that Chris listens to regularly, go to my website w...
Dec 07, 2020•16 min•Season 1Ep. 108
It was my absolute good fortune and privilege to interview one of the leading speakers in the Short Stay Rental sector, Chris Maughan recently, which is full of practical knowledge and insights that you can apply to your SA business right away! You may know of Chris as CEO of I-PRAC, which is key to building trust with your potential guests, but did you know he has 20 years’ experience in the industry as CEO and co-founder of AES Accommodation Ltd and AES Events Group? Providing events for comme...
Nov 30, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 107
Lots of SA operators have asked for more guidance on how to outsource, and where to find a VA or more varied types of contract workers to complete the many tasks that you want to delegate to someone else. These may be either things you don’t like doing, don’t have time for, or simply to manage the overwhelming amount of daily tasks that have kept you in a new ‘job’, something you were trying to avoid when you started your SA business! Here are 3 key tips about how to successfully outsource these...
Nov 23, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 106
You can enjoy the great mutual benefits of working directly with developers of apartment blocks. In our rent to SA business the developers retained the freehold of their blocks, and this creates numerous advantages on all sides. Here I talk about how finances, logistics and guests all receive the positive impact when you work with developers, and how you find them in the first place. It’s a real win:win! For show notes and resources in my podcast, go to my website www.servicedaccommodationsecret...
Nov 16, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 105
Are you feeling overwhelmed in your SA business? Do you spend your whole day busy with tasks, but at the end of each week you realise you have key actions still undone? You’ve heard lots of people talk about how hiring a VA is the answer!! “Outsource everything,” they say… and you think it could help, but how on earth do you start this and how much will it cost? I’ve devised a plan to help – find out more here. For show notes and resources in my podcast, go to my website www.servicedaccommodatio...
Nov 09, 2020•19 min•Season 1Ep. 104
We will know more after the announcements on Thursday 5th November, but here are “Lock down actions” that you can start with now till we know for sure what we’re allowed to do till 2nd December. There are many opportunities for us to help a lot of people in lock down and to serve our clients - focus on what you can control and stay positive!! For show notes and resources in my podcast, go to my website www.servicedaccommodationsecrets.com and Facebook page: http://bit.ly/SASecretsPage See omnyst...
Nov 02, 2020•44 min•Season 1Ep. 103
In your SA business, are you working out how to serve your community, talk to businesses working on developments in your area and at sites for short term projects. Are you getting to know the people who are potential guests in your area? Local networking is of course online and it’s easier than ever to get to know contacts who will want to book and know other people who want to book short term accommodation too – especially as lock down tiers come into force and key workers and contractors as a ...
Oct 26, 2020•14 min•Season 1Ep. 102
